Status Updates From Leugens en tovenarij

A third read, a third enjoyed. Morante’s complex language and grammar are so stimulating; but, man, do my attention and mental focus have to be sharp!

At the threshold of the closing section of Part 2, I’m eager to see how it ends and what Part 3 brings. I enjoyed the novel from the start, but subtle doubts lingered after Part 1. Those are gone now. Part 2 has been deeply rewarding: the writing remains excellent, the pacing engaging, and the characters’ dark psychologies have pulled me in completely—not to mention there have been some very quotable lines/passages.

Part 1 done. This is very distinct from what I’ve read recently—it's certainly that Italian soap opera the NYT called it. I never would have found myself enjoying soapy novels, but Morante’s prose—beautifully translated—is mesmerizing; spellbinding. Elisa’s narration is pompous and excessive, yet in a fittingly great way that fuels my interest. Her elegant narration makes even the most disliked characters attractive.

Elisa’s narration/voice remains fascinating and captivating. The emerging family history is dark and fantastic—already teeming with neuroses verging on psychosis, even with just three key figures introduced. I’m still hooked: the familial craziness, those tender yet pitiful intergenerational moments between Anna (Elisa’s mother) and Teodoro (grandfather), and my frequent reach for a dictionary keep the pages turning.

Elisa’s narration/voice remains fascinating and captivating. The emerging family history is dark and fantastic—already teeming with neuroses verging on psychosis, even with just three key figures introduced. I’m still hooked: the familial craziness, those tender yet pitiful intergenerational moments between Elisa and her grandfather by marriage, and the constant reach for a dictionary all keep the pages turning.

I’m just settling into Elisa’s voice in these opening sections—and already hooked. Her quietly intense, occasionally grandiloquent narration evokes an uneasy, thick atmosphere heavy with dark memories waiting to surface. Her frank epistemic unreliability creates exactly the right tension. The promised story feels at once intimate and vast; and I feel at once excited and wary. Loving the early meta-narrative layer!